Indie Music Chatter

I recently visited a friend’s blog to see what’s going on with his life. I haven’t spoken to him at length for almost a month so it was great time to check up on his activities. My friend is also into the same kind of music so a visit to his blog is also an opportunity for me to find out about new bands or new music gems that he has recently discovered.

This particular visit had been especially fruitful because he posted a link to a video for one of Yuki Isoya’s songs. Yuki, for those who are not too familiar with J (Japanese) music, was the former vocalist of the renowned Japanese punk/pop band Judy and Mary.Yuki’s video for Sentimental Journey is beautiful in its simplicity. What made it stand out though is the “visual effect” that was used to make the video interesting. I won’t even attempt to describe it. Just watch the video for yourself.

Yuki, Judy and Mary, Japanese music

One album that I have been recommending to friends over the last few weeks is The Klaxons‘ Myths of the Future. This is one of those rare albums where, when you listen to it, you know that the boundaries of music is being challenged again.
When I first heard Gravity’s Rainbow and Golden Skans, I immediately knew that The Klaxons are attempting to come out with a new music hybrid that aims to meld different music genres into a new, as yet unseen, form. I knew that I was at the cusp of some great shift in the world of music and the trio from London is at the center of it all. Forget what you may hear about this so called New Rave movement the Klaxons are supposed to be spearheading. Get rid of the labels and just enjoy their music — one of the funkiest and coolest sounds you will hear in 2007.

The Klaxons, London, New Rave

I think The Gossip one of the hippest and most booty-shaking bands around. And Beth Ditto is just simply a cultural icon. I find her frankness quite refreshing especially in the midst of a music industry that is just so full of pompous asses that promote anorexia and low self worth.

Do check out their video for Jealous Girls, which is just such a great throwback to those cheesy music videos from the 80’s. I made a friend watch this video and he told me that he can’t quite put his finger on it but there is something strange about the video. When I said that it may be Beth Ditto’s weight, he was surprised that it was indeed her excess poundage. He said that it is so strange to see a woman of Ditto’s girth appearing in a music video. That’s what I love about Beth Ditto, she provokes and changes perceptions without even uttering a single word.

The Gossip, Beth Ditto, Jealous Girls